David Ranta's lawyer, Pierre Sussman, said that the former inmate had a serious heart attack Friday night and that he is being treated at a New York hospital.

Ranta walked out of jail Thursday after a judge threw out his conviction in the 1990 killing of a Brooklyn rabbi.

Brooklyn prosecutors had recently concluded that Ranta was innocent in the death of Rabbi Chaskel Werzberger, who was killed by a bandit fleeing a botched robbery, after a witness in the case said a police lineup that helped convict Ranta had been rigged.

Ranta is 58. He told reporters Thursday that his new freedom was emotionally overwhelming.

"The accumulated trauma of being falsely convicted and incarcerated for 23 years, coupled with the intense emotions experienced surrounding his release, has had a profound impact on his health," Sussman said of his client. "He is presently resting, with his family by his bedside. We will continue to ensure that David receives the required, ongoing medical attention he needs."